• Everything other than hot peppers. Questions, discussion, and grow logs. Cannabis grow pics are only allowed when posted from a legal juridstiction.

WTF are these things?!

Dorkasaurus

Dorkasaurus

Anyone have any idea what kind of bug builds a shell out of leaf and plant material?  About an inch long, and they're hanging from the underside of our hop leaves but they're not permanently affixed... they can and do move as they eat. They're eating the crap out of the hops and the "shells" are made of bits of leaf and debris bound together by whatever sticky crap the insect excretes to build it's protective layer.  Google has failed me so far.
 
IMG_20130712_134602_i3qoozr37h.jpg
 
I think I found it.  Figured there was a caterpillar inside based on the leaf destruction.  Some kind of bagworm is my guess. 

capsidadburn said:
Looks like bagworms. Used to see them all over evergreen trees as a kid.
Click to expand...
 
Found them on Google as you were posting.  I think you're right.  
 
I remember that the worm itself is pretty good perch bait, but the home it makes and carry's with it is not to easy for a ten year old to get in to.  I suppose heat would force them out like natives did with snails.  We just stepped on them.  Looks like yours is lacking the usual juniper materials for the home.  Work with what you got.
 
Good Luck!
 
Aha, makes sense now. When I looked at it earlier I couldn't figure it out. Normally around here we see them on evergreens, so the leaves they use for their cocoon are much different and don't look like that at all.
 
theghostpepperstore said:
Aha, makes sense now. When I looked at it earlier I couldn't figure it out. Normally around here we see them on evergreens, so the leaves they use for their cocoon are much different and don't look like that at all.
Click to expand...
 
I've never seen them before but after reading about them I checked a juniper tree in the yard and found a bunch, and they look much different than the ones on the hops.
 
romy6 said:
 They are nasty and will take over a garden.I am not jealous of you. 
Click to expand...
 
I guess I didn't believe you when you posted this because we only found a few here and there, mostly on the hops but now they are everywhere.  Eating peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, elm trees, jujube tree.  We even find them hanging from the  house, fences, garbage cans... must be thousands of them.  There's so many in a tree partially over our garden area that the ground is littered with poop.  I thought it was a hornworm relic until I noticed it covers just about everywhere within a couple feet of the tree.  
 
So far our first year at this location has been a little cursed and the sad looking plants are a testament to it.  :rolleyes:
 
Better luck next year! :pray:
 
Nasty when you get a large out break of them. I've seen them strip several large  evergreens bushes. As a kid we had to collect them by buckets full and add gas and a flame. They use leaves from what ever plant they're on as camouflage. Not sure though what preditor can get through their cocoon because it is tough.
 
TOAW said:
Not sure though what preditor can get through their cocoon because it is tough.
Click to expand...
 
According to the chickens and goat next door, chickens and goats can get through their cocoon.  Unfortunately there's too many to gather by hand at this point but we do throw them to the animals when we can.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top